Package binding tool



Jan. 21, 1941. H, c, PORTER PACKAGE BINDING Toor.

Filed Nov. 13, 1939 NN NN Patented Jan. 21, 1941 UNlTED STATES ATENT OFFlCE Application November 13, 1939, Serial No. 304,053

4 Claims.

My invention relates to package binding tools. More particularly it relates to package binding tools of what may be termed the feed-wheel type whereby a loop of flexible metallic binder encircling a package or group of packages is tensioned by a rotatable member that presses together the overlapping ends of the binder and moves one end past the other to contract the loop to the desired extent. With still further particularity the invention relates to an improved arrangement for retaining the rotatable tensioning member in binder-receiving position and releasing it to enable it to assume its bindergripping and tensioning position. One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement for automatically retaining the feed wheel in its binder-receiving position relatively separated from its complementary grip-ping member and for enabling the operator to release the feed wheel to enable it then to approach automatically the complementary gripping member so as to grip the binder therebetween and effect tensioning of the binder when the feed wheel is rotated.

Another object is to provide for the ready adjustment of the degree of pressure with which the feed wheel will engage the binder.

Another object is to provide a feed wheel retainer and release that is simple, effective and relatively inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be illustrated and described as embodied in a combined tensioning and sealing tool of the type set forth in A. T. Bergstrom Patent No. 1,969,115, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be incorporated in tools of other types.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a complete tool;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5 5 of Fig. l.

Because of the fact that the improvement is by way of example incorporated in a well known and previously patented tool, there is no need for a detailed showing and description of the tool and, consequently, only its salient features will be briefly explained. For a full disclosure reference may be had to the above mentioned Bergstrom patent.

In general the tool, which is of the combined tensioning and sealing type, has a main frame l0 provided with a pair of bases or feet rIl and l2, the feet being adapted to rest upon the package being bound. Foot Il cooperates, in a manner later explained, with a rotatable feed-wheel, which is formed of two like sections 54, to press together the overlapping ends S and S of a package-encircling loop of binder strap and to tension the loop about the package by holding the lower strap end S stationary against the foot II while feeding the other strap end S thereover through the clockwise rot-ation of the feed-wheel. A ratchet wheel 55 is located between and secured to the feed-wheel sections 54 and both the feed and ratchet wheels are r0- tatably mounted upon an eccentric shaft 56. Shaft 5t is journaled in two upstanding flanges or webs l5 and l1 of the main frame, the feed and ratchet wheels being positioned therebetween.

Anauxiliary or oscillating frame 25 is journaled upon shaft 56 so that it may be oscillated relative to the main frame. The auxiliary frame 25 includes two supporting and journaling webs 2l and. 28, a slide 32 and an anvil 4l. A pair of sealing jaws 49 are pivoted to the auxiliary frame by a bolt 3l and cooperate with anvil 4l to deform overlapping strap ends located therebetween to produce a joint for holding the strap ends together. The oscillating auxiliary frame carries a spring-biased actuating pawl 4l which engages ratchet wheel 55 and the main frame carries a spring-biased holding pawl 23 also engaging the ratchet wheel. When the auxiliary frame is rotated in a clockwise direction its actuating pawl 4| rotates the ratchet wheeland in consequence the feed wheels-in the same drection, but when it is rotated in a counterclockwise direction the actuating pawl rides idly over the ratchet wheel. The holding pawl prevents counter-clockwise rotation of the ratchet and feed Wheels.

The auxiliary frame is actuated by a handle 43 which, although pivoted thereto at 45, is normally retained in fixed relation to its frame by a clutch 46. A link 52 operatively connects handle 43 to a cross-head that is slidably mounted on slide 32 and connected to jaws 49 by links 50.

A grip handle 64 is rigidly carried by eccentric shaft 55 whereby the shaft may be oscillated through a rather small arc, the movement in a clockwise direction serving to move the feed wheel away from foot Il to provide a strap-receiving gap between them. Rotation of the eccentric shaft in the reverse direction serves to cause the feed wheel to approach the underlying foot Il.

Thus far described the mechanism is old in the art as evidenced by the heretofore mentioned Bergstrom patent; and the improvement, whereby the feed wheel is automatically retained in strap-receiving position (i. e., relatively separated frorn the underlying foot) and released by the operator to enable it to approach the foot and contact the upper of the overlapping strap ends with a readily varied pressure, will now be explained.

Eccentric shaft 56 is extended through a journal bushing 56 and beyond its journaling frame-flange I5. The end of shaft 56 is eX- ternally threaded to receive the internally threaded shaft extension 'l2 which, when threaded in place, rotates with shaft 56 andv serves to hold the shaft against longitudinal movement. Shaft extension 12 provides a sup porting seat for a pressure-controlling or adjust ing knob in the form of a small drum 18. Drum 'I8 has a central core or sleeve ll which slips over the projecting end of shaft extension T2, the bore of sleeve 1| and shaft extension l2 being complementarily formed so that, while they normally move together, relative adjustment therebetween is possible. Thus, for example, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, shaft extension 72 may be provided with a hexagonal section 12 and the bore of sleeve H given a like about shaft section 'i2' and the shaft and knob are relatively fixed so that movements of the shaft are imparted to the knob. The knob is held in pil-ace with its sleeve 1| against bushing 56 by a set screw 13 that threads into the end of shaft extension 12. But upon the removal of set screw 'I3 the drum may be moved outwardly until its sleeve 1| is slid beyond the hexagonal portion 12' of shaft extension 12 and then the knob may be turned relative to the eccentric shaft 56.

A coiled spring 'I4 is housed in knob 70 about sleeve 1I, one end being anchored to frame lllfor example, by seating its extremity 15 in a small hole or socket 16 inthe frame-and the other end being anchored to the knob in a suitable manner such as b-y passing its extremity through a rivet 11. Thus, when the knob is in normal position, as shown in Fig. 4, spring 74 puts a bias upon eccentric shaft 56 tending to rotate it so as to cause the feed wheel 54 to approach foot ll and bear upon an interposed strap with a pressure determined by the effective tension of the spring. And the effective tension of the spring can be varied by removing set screw 13, sliding out knob until its sleeve becomes disengaged from the hexagonal portion l2 of shaft extension 12 and then turning the knob relative to shaft 56 to coil the spring more tightlyto increase the tension-or more loosely-to decrease the tension.

A spring latch 88 is provided to retain the eccentric shaft, against the bias of spring 74, in the position wherein the feed wheel 54 is relatively removed from foot II-i. e., in strap-receiving position. This latch is in the form of a thin, piece of spring material which is loosely mounted upon shaft bushing 56', but prevented from turning b-y a pin 8l that extends through a hole therein and is fixed in the tool main frame. Preferably pin 8| projects far enough through latch 80 to cooperate with spaced shoulders 82 Iand 83 formed in the hub 84 of the grip handle 64 to limit the movement of handle 64 in both directions. Latch 80 is formed so that normally its free end tends to separate from the tool frame and it is provided with a hole or socket 85 adapted to register under one condition with a pin 86 carried by the hub 84 of grip handle 64, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. This registration occurs when grip handie 64 is moved to the position in which eccentric shaft 56 has Withdrawn the feed wheels from foot Il and, upon registration, the resiliency of the latch causes it to be snapped over pin 86 and the feed wheel is retained in this condition notwithstanding the bias of spring 14 tending to cause it to approach foot*l Il to engage and grip the strap. When the operator has the strap between the feed wheel and underlying foot and wishes to effect the gripping thereof by the feed wheel, he merely exes the latch toward the framesay with the thumb of the hand holding the toolto withdraw socket 85 from pin 86 which permits spring 14 to rotate the eccentric shaft until the feed wheel has engaged the strap end.

In operating the tool the strap binder is looped about the package or groups of packages to be bound and the ends of the loop overlapped. The tool, with its feed-wheel removed from foot Il and there` held by latch 80, is placed upon the package and the overlapping strap ends are inserted laterally into the gap between the feedwheel and underlying foot. The operator then depresses latch 80 inwardly to release the grip handle 64 and the tension of spring 14 rotates the eccentric shaft to lower the feed-wheel into Contact with the upper strap end S. The pressure with which the feed-wheel presses upon the overlapping strap ends can be regulated, by adjusting the angular relation between knob 'l0 and shaft 56 as previously described, to best meet the conditions of strap characteristics and required tension so that the lower strap end S will be firmly anchored and the upper strap end S can be fed thereover to, in effect, shrink or contract the loop of strap tightly about the packages. The pressure should be such that the necessary grip upon the strap is attained without unnecessarily cutting into and marring the strap with the teeth or serrations of the stationary gripper and feed-wheel.

When the latch has been released and the strap ends are gripped between the feed-wheel and underlying foot, the strap is tensioned by oscillating handle 43 through a rather small arce. g., one extending from the normal position shown in Fig. 1 to a position not much if any beyond the vertical-to cause pawl 4I to rotate the feed-wheel in a series of movements in a clockwise direction to feed the upper strap end S upon and past the lower stationary strap end S. Upon the attainment of the desired tension the operator swings handle 43 in a counter-clockwise direction beyond the vertical to swing the auxiliary frame far enough to bring the open jaws of the sealing mechanism down to and about the overlapping strap ends. In this condition further movement of the auxiliary frame is prevented, but handle 43 may be still further moved in a counter-clockwise direction with the result that clutch 46 is released, handle 43 pivots about pivot 45 and by means of link 52, slide 5I and links 58 the lower ends of jaws 49 are brought together to deform the overlapping strap ends into an interlocking joint therebetween.

The joint being completed, the operator swings handle i3 in a clockwise direction to release the jaws from the strap, to raise the sealing mechanism and to re-engage clutch 46 to re-establish the tool in tensioning condition. Next the operator rotates handle 6d in a clockwise direction to elevate the feed-wheel and re-engage latch 8@ With pin 35, which retains the feed-wheel in withdrawn or strap-receiving position, and. the tool may then be removed from the package.

Having illustrated an embodiment and explained the nature of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent ois as follows:

1. A binder-strap tensioning tool having a stationary gripper and a movable gripper, the movable gripper being carried on an eccentric shaft the rotation of which in opposite directions causes the movable gripper to move toward and away from the stationary gripper, a spring surrounding the eccentric shaft and cooperating therewith to rotate the same in a direction to cause the movable gripper to approach the stationary gripper, and a pressure adjusting knob cooperating with the spring to vary the tension therein and thereby adjust the pressure with which the movable gripper approaches the stationary gripper.

2. A binder-strap tensioning tool having a stationary gripper and a movable gripper, the movable gripper being carried on an eccentric shaft the rotation of which in opposite directions causes the movable gripper to move toward and away from the stationary gripper, a spring surrounding the eccentric shaft and cooperating therewith to rotate the same in a direction to cause the movable gripper to approach the stationary gripper, a pressure adjusting knob cooperating with the spring to vary the tension therein and thereby adjust the pressure with which the movable gripper approaches the stationary gripper, and a latch for automatically retaining the eccentric shaft against rotation when the movable gripper is withdrawn from the stationary gripper and operable by the operator to release the eccentric shaft and permit the spring to rotate the same and cause the movable gripper to approach the stationary gripper.

3. A binder-strap tensioning tool having a frame, a stationary gripper, a movable gripper, an eccentric shaft which carries the movable gripper and by rotation in opposite directions causes the movable gripper to recede from and approach the stationary gripper, a spring surrounding the eccentric shaft to rotate the same in the direction to cause the movable gripper to approach the stationary gripper, a tension controlling knob surrounding and housing the spring,` one end of which is connected to the frame and the other end to the knob, and an adjustable connection between the eccentric shaft and the tension controlling knob whereby the knob and shaft may be moved together without relative movement therebetween and whereby they may be relatively moved to tighten and loosen the spring to vary the tension exerted thereby upon the shaft.

4. A binder-strap tensioning tool having a frame, a stationary gripper, a movable gripper, an eccentric shaft which carries the movable gripper and by rotation in opposite directions causes the movable gripper to recede from and approach the stationary gripper, a spring surrounding the eccentric shaft to rotate the same in the direction to cause the movable gripper to approach the stationary gripper, a tension controlling knob surrounding and housing the spring, one end of which is connected to the frame and the other end to the knob, an adjustable connection between the eccentric shaft and the tension controlling knob whereby the knob and shaft may be moved together without relative movement therebetween and whereby they may be relatively moved to tighten and loosen the spring to vary the tension exerted thereby upon the shaft, a grip-handle for rotating the eccentric shaft in the direction to cause the movable gripper to recede from the stationary gripper and at the same time tension the spring, a pin on the grip-handle, and a spring latch having a socket registrable with the pin when the grip-handle has been moved to withdraw the movable gripper from the stationary gripper and thereby retain the movable gripper in such position, said latch being operable by the operator to separate the pin and socket to free the grip-handle and permit the spring to rotate the eccentric shaft and thereby cause the movable gripper to approach the stationary gripper.

HOWARD C. PORTER. 

